Bigwords bug people

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Most of the people who I associate with are fairly well-educated. We find it natural to use "big words".
When I speak to some people, I get told to "speak English!". It frustrates me, because the way I speak is the way I speak. I do it automatically, not to show off or be pretentious.

I use medical terms all the time. That is the only kind of "big words" that I know because I have an IQ of -50. I think I have a condition called anencephaly. That means I was born without something known as a brain. I'm basically not that smart. You guys are a lot smarter than I am. My normal vocabulary sucks. I have the vocabulary of a typical 2 or 3 year old. What does the word "it" mean again? That is too difficult for me. By the way, I am the only living person without a brain. I had an MRI and it was blank! No brain present. I just have a talking center in my brain. Other than that I am completely brain dead.

YEAH, you see? THAT is what I am talking about. I don't usually use what I think others might consider "big words" now, and people STILL sometimes act adversely. One guy actually, and I have NO idea why, asked me what some uncommon words meant all the time, like he was trying to test me. I think there were like TWO I didn't know, but I DO know them now. But HEY, we(he and I) got a kick out of it!

Anyway, it seems like the 40% of the people that act adversely are just people that don't want to be bothered, and don't seem all that smart anyway. Others WANT to learn! Besides, I don't use such words capriciously. They fit, and aren't THAT uncommon.

HECK, I remember the first time I heard the term ubiquitous. It was from an usher in a church! I probably heard it like 3 times this week! Yet if I said that some of the "big words" I use may actually be ubiquitous, many may take umbrage at THAT! OK, I probably used my quota for the week!

FUNNY, but I have heard of at least 2 people that didn't appear to have a brain. I don't think THEY could really communicate though. 2-3 years old, huh? You do pretty well for one in such a state.

I've never had anyone get mad at me over it, but I am often told to "speak English" due to using large words. I can understand the viewpoint of the person not understanding, and I don't want to seem pretentious, but I wouldn't know how to limit my vocabulary even if I wanted to. What's considered too hard and what's considered okay? I've had people get on to me for using words that I can't imagine not knowing, such as the word "difficult."

Then I can see why it is DIFFICULT to do! With ME, I try to just use words I have often heard. Of course, that means I wouldn't consider the word "difficult" to be one people would have trouble with.

Interestingly, with so many hispanics in the US, I am surprised that certain spanish words, that are ALSO english, aren't used. Ironically, some such words are COMMON in spanish but would be considered "big words" in English!

I could ALSO suggest a word frequency list, but I bet difficult ranks high on the list!

This thread is not bugged topic

I have never noticed here that posters use large words. If there is a word I have never seen I look it up on an online dictionary and add it to my vocabulary.

Firebird, how is it that you do not have a brain? Or do you have a condition where you only have one hemisphere, or a brain that is on the periphery inside your skull? I studied nursing once and read about these two conditions. We even saw a video about one of the two conditions? Or do you have something else? Fascinating.

I admire your courage and motivation. And I do not think your IQ is -50.

I hate how abstract the term "big words" can be :S I once used "apt" in a sentence, and someone said it was a big word :S

Take that ghosts of two years ago!

Seriously, though, it's a little annoying to have to explain every fifth word you say. I don't expect people to understand specialist jargon, but people not knowing the meaning of everyday words drains your faith in humanity.

I don't look down on people for not knowing a word, I just don't like being treated as pompous for speaking in the manner to which I have become accustomed. :S

I know, I've always used big words without trying. It's just a part of my speech. An NT friend of mine once told me, "Girls don't like guys that use big words." Oh, so you're saying girls don't like guys with a brain stem? Who is he to say? Anyway, I use big words such as "floccinaucinihilipilification" (yes that is a word) every day.

I think she was being funny?

You can't live without a brain, without it, your body wouldn't be working and if her IQ was -50, she be a vegetable. She wouldn't have even made that post if her IQ was that low and no one with a vocabulary of a 2 or 3 year old would be able to make that post.


Shows I'm not that gullible.


Edited because I felt like an as*hole for what I said so I took it out.

It seems like I never cease to be horrified by how limited the vocabularies of most people are. And that isn't me being pretentious, this is just me talking in normal conversation quite naturally using words like "ubiquitous," "arterial," "solipsism," "empirical," and "entropy" in conversation.

I'm not only horrified by how limited the average person's vocabulary is but how limited they are in almost every area that matters. I hope this is just a problem in the USA and not the entire world. It seems like every generation is getting even more anti-intellectual than the one before it.

Like other posters here I have been punished for actually using my brain and aspiring to learn something. It was treated like some horrible crime that I had to be punished for by my "peers" I got physical and mental abuse daily for it. and form what I observe today It is much worse than when I was going through school It seems most of those idiots had children and their children are even more degenerate than their parents.

I used to use big words too in normal conversation. Like most everyone has said though it wasnt anything pretentious, its just the way we talk. then for a while i got really self concious of this because most people think u are trying to sound smarter than them. But now that I know its part of who I am, f that, Im going back to talking how i feel comfortable.

they need to start using big words...not us need to stop using them